NEW YORKERS LEARN TO ENJOY STEAK STANDING UP|日本"立食"牛排店進軍紐約 力拚翻桌率

The meat lovers who stood in line to get into this steakhouse will keep standing when they get in. No chairs at Ikinari Steak, which has over 100 outlets in Japan but only debuted in New York recently. Customers eat standing up and may finish in 30 minutes. That way, the restaurant can sell more steaks and make more money by serving more customers. As one walks into this newly opened steakhouse in New York, the immediate question is, where are the chairs? Here at Ikinari Steakhouse, customers eat standing up. That way, more customers are served and more steaks get sold. But steak lovers also find reasons to eat on their feet. ==ELI KIES Customer== I think it's a really good experience because I can burn calories as I eat, right. I'm standing up. Keep good posture. To make money, the restaurant must pull in 200 customers a day. To further minimize any incentive to stick around, appetizers, desserts and coffee have been crossed off the steakhouse's menu, which is only one-page. All prices are listed by the gram, and customers get to decided how big a portion they want. ==JACOB NOVAK Customer== It's morning. I didn't want too big of a cut so I ordered something a little bit less. I'm very happy with that. The 5-ounce sirloin Jacob ordered cost about NT$600. Founder Kunio Ichinose is aware that Americans aren't used to eating on their feet, but said he plans to create a stand-up culture. ==KUNIO ICHINOSE Founder, Ikinari Steakhouse== It was the same in Japan and there wasn't a culture. Now, there's a culture. So it will be successful. The ambtious restaurateur intends to open 10 locations in New York this year and plans to take his business public in three years. But standing or sitting, doctors warn that an overly quick meal, while efficient for the customer and lucrative for the restaurant, can lead to indigestion. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG